Following the Biden Administration’s recent announcement to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians and others fleeing the war-torn country, the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) introduced the Uniting for Ukraine program. The new program which became effective April 25, 2022, provides a streamlined process for displaced Ukrainian citizens to apply for humanitarian parole in the US, allowing them to live and work in the US for up to two years.
Read moreLife and Future May Depend on How Rapidly Paperwork is Processed
DHS Designates Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 18 Months
On March 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”) announced the designation of Ukraine for temporary protected status (“TPS”) for eighteen months. This decision comes as a result of the escalating violence and the development of a humanitarian crisis in the wake of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in the week, bipartisan Senators urged President Biden to designate Ukraine for TPS.
Read moreNYT: Travel Bans for Certain Russians and Ukrainians
As the Parliament in Crimea is set to vote on regional secession, the Obama administration has issued sanctions including travel bans and visa revocations:
The sanctions Mr. Obama approved Thursday imposed visa bans on officials and other individuals deemed responsible for undermining Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity. The administration would not disclose the names or number of people penalized, but a senior official said privately that it would affect just under a dozen people, mostly Russians but some Ukrainians.
Among those targeted were political figures, policy advisers, security officials and military officers who played a direct role in the Crimean crisis, the official said. Any of them seeking to travel to the United States would be barred, and a few who currently hold American visas will have them revoked.
Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said that while these sanctions were a step in the right direction "we must name and shame these persons[.]" This comes after a report in February that the State Department had imposed a visa ban on twenty senior Ukrainian officials, whom had allegedly played a role in the violent crackdown of protestors by the government of ousted President Yanukovych. UK Prime Minister David Cameron has also backed travel bans for senior Russian politicians, and European Union member states in coordination with the US, Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, and Canada have reportedly agreed on travel restrictions as well.